


why were you digging, what did you bury (before those hands pulled me from the earth?)

by beast_of_brutality



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Lizzie is maybe a bit OOC in this, Season 1 Episode 6 Mombie Dearest, Sort Of, an extra scene in the middle of Mombie Dearest, discussion of attempted filicide, hope dealing with her feelings, hope has complicated feelings about elijah, josie dealing with the aftermath of being buried alive, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29034324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beast_of_brutality/pseuds/beast_of_brutality
Summary: Title is from 'Like Real People Do' by Hozier.In the aftermath of Josie's kidnapping and premature burial, Hope and Lizzie talk with Josie. Hope, at least, isn't exactly sure why she's here.Trigger warning for discussion of filicide.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman & Lizzie Saltzman
Kudos: 13





	why were you digging, what did you bury (before those hands pulled me from the earth?)

Hope looked awkwardly at Lizzie across the bed. Lizzie looked awkwardly back, still in her outfit from the birthday party.

Josie sat silently between them. She hadn't said much since Hope and the others had dug her out of the ground, but Hope could see her hands were trembling, even though every few seconds Josie would press her palms firmly against her jeans. 

Josie had tried to usher them out of the room earlier, after Alaric had left, but Lizzie had barged past her protests, parked herself firmly on the end of Josie's bed and tangling their hands together.

Hope had followed silently after, still remembering Josie's gasping breaths from only a short few hours ago, and a snarling wolf in her chest, pacing and wanting, _needing_ to make certain that she was still breathing.

Thankfully no one had questioned why Hope was following the twins around like a lost duckling. She wasn't completely sure why herself, only knew that their continued existence was important to her, and if they left her sight, she'd not be able to protect them, protect Josie. And Josie had waved her into the room after Lizzie and herself, so Hope figured it would be okay.

Lizzie and Josie's mother was still in Dr. Saltzman's office, because the only time she had been brought up Josie had started shaking like a leaf, face paling, and Lizzie hadn't let go of her sisters hand since Hope had pulled her from the dance floor.

"I know it wasn't her." Both Hope and Lizzie quickly snapped their gaze to the shaken girl in between them.

"I know it wasn't her, not really, but it still...feels like it? And..."

Hope let Josie untangle their hands when she tugged her fingers from her grip. "And I know I never met her, but we've seen pictures of her all our lives and... Dad's told us so many stories it kind of feels like we do? You know?"

Hope did know, had felt the same looming sense of horror and dread and raw betrayal reflected in Josie's face now when she had met her Uncle Elijah two years ago. Her uncle who she scarcely knew, yet when he had turned away from her, from her mother, whom he was supposed to _love_...Hope wouldn't wish that feeling on someone she hated, let alone the kind girl beside her.

"I know it was stupid to go with her, but...she was so nice, and she wanted to do my hair and talk about Penelope-" Josie steadfastly ignored Lizzie's scoff at the mention of Penelope. "I didn't think she would hurt me, and she didn't. It wasn't really her that hurt me, but now, I'm scared that the next time I look at a picture of her, all I'm going to remember is not being able to breathe, and I don't want-I don't want that." 

Josie looked lost, empty, and all the niceties you were supposed to say in those gaps, the _I'm sorry's,_ the _it's going to get better's,_ the _it's going to be okay's,_ they didn't seem enough to cover it. 

"My uncle watched my mom die." It's not what Hope meant to say, if she meant to say anything at all, but the words hang heavy between the three of them nevertheless.

Josie looks at her, through her, even as Lizzie rears up, defensive and ready to use all the sharpness on the tip of her tongue to protect her sister. "This isn't about _you_ , Hope-"

Hope winced. She knew that, that wasn't what she was trying to do _._

But Josie looks relieved, so Hope continues.

"I'd heard stories about him all my life. How he was noble, how he kept his word, how he loved my mother, how he wanted to protect me. I'd only met him once before-" She paused, pursing her lips. She didn't want to talk about the reasons. "before he had to go away. But the man who I met in that house...He looked _right through me._ He didn't know me, didn't want to protect me, he didn't, he wasn't-"

Hope swallowed, angrily dashing tears from her cheeks. This wasn't supposed to be about her. 

"and after...I couldn't look at him without hating him, but I also couldn't look at him without loving him and...I know it's not the same, but...I'm sorry this happened to you. " She finished lamely, trying to push everything she couldn't quite grasp into those six words, all the tangled up pain and grief and rage.

Lizzie swallowed, watching Josie's face. "I'm sorry too, if I hadn't rushed out-"

Josie cut her off, waving it away. "It's okay Lizzie. You were excited. And I'm sorry too, Hope. About your uncle."

"Yeah, me too I guess." Lizzie chimed in. Hope nodded, trying to see through the view of tears clouding her vision. 

"and besides, it's not like anyone would notice-"

Hope sucked in a sharp breath at that, and Lizzie exhaled as if she was punched. She directed a glare at Hope. "Tell anyone what I'm about to say next and I'll end you." Hope nodded, trying to look appropriately scared, though she doubted Lizzie would actually be able to hurt her. Lizzie turned towards the brunette girl. "I'm sorry. I should've noticed, I should've been better-" Lizzie cut herself off. "I'm going to be better. I promise." 

Josie shook her head, reaching out her other hand to Lizzie. "It's not your fault. You didn't-"

The usually unflappable blonde looked haunted, as if she had seen her own ghost. "I'm your twin, I should have noticed."

Josie had nothing to say back to that, a flicker of resentment dashing across her face. "You didn't hurt me." She repeated, a hollow promise in the face of what had happened mere hours before.

"But-"

"Lizzie, leave it!" Hope blinked. It was the first time she'd heard Josie raise her voice in the nearly ten years they'd known each other. Not that Hope had spent much time with the twins before Malivore, but judging from Lizzie's taken aback expression, it's an uncommon occurrence. 

"Okay." She says, like soothing a wild animal. "Okay. We can drop it." It's a rare day when Lizzie doesn't push, and push and _push_ , but to her credit she stays quiet this once.

Josie nods, uncrossing her legs and walking to her closet. Her face flickers as she glances briefly across the section of turtle necks, and of course, Hope thinks, of course Josie organizes her closet, before quickly settling on a reddish maroon t shirt. "I'm just... I have to change." 

As soon as the door closes behind her, Lizzie turns to Hope, and she sniffed, blinking all of her tears away and bracing herself. 

"Why are you here? You don't even like us, and we don't like you, miracle girl." And she sneered out the last words like she's saying freak, like she's saying different, like she's saying mistake. And there are a lot of things that Hope can say to that, that Lizzie shouldn't speak for a twin who isn't here, that Lizzie was right, this, Hope being _here,_ of all places, was stupid, or that she doesn't like them. Either of them, and she really should be going now.

Maybe it's because it has been a long day, because she is tired, because she had to learn how to kill zombies, which shouldn't even exist and _what the fuck,_ but Hope doesn't say any of that. 

"I wanted to make sure you two were okay." It's a flimsy excuse at best. Lizzie should call her on it. Hope would call herself on it.

But Lizzie doesn't. "Okay."

Hope blinked. "Okay?" 

"Yes, _okay_."

Hope breathes out in silent relief, because even _she_ doesn't know why she cares so much. They sit in silence, with only the sound of Josie's hairdryer and their breathing, until Lizzie breaks it.

"Thank you." She fidgeted with the bedspread at the foot of the bed without meeting Hope's eyes. 

"for being there for Josie when I couldn't-" She cut herself off, sucking her lips into her mouth. "when I _wasn't_." 

Hope couldn't't help poking. "What about Penelope?" 

" _Penelope_ ," Lizzie sneered. "is the bride of Satan himself." 

Hope bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to laugh. 

"And I'm not?"

Lizzie glanced over. "You're...tolerable." She said, as if she had just performed a feat worthy of Hercules.

"I'll take it." Hope said with a half smile.

They fall silent when the blasting sound of Josie's hair dryer stops. She comes out, her hair up in a ponytail, face wiped clean of make-up. She looks oddly vulnerable and raw like this, redness around her eyes as if she'd just been crying, hands tangled in front of her like she is holding on for dear life. 

"We need to go help dad." Are the first words out of her mouth.

"Josie, you don't have to-" Lizzie starts to say.

“No, it's okay. This way at least it's done." 

Josie looked at Hope, the first time she'd actually, truly looked at her since Hope had pulled her out of the shallow grave whatever was controlling Josette Saltzman had put her in. "Thank you Hope. For...being here. For saving me. For giving me the necklace."

She turned towards her sister, away from Hope. "Lizzie." She said, holding out her hand. Lizzie quickly went to Josie's side, interlacing their fingers. Lizzie's hand quickly turned white, the only outward sign of Josie's distress.

Hope followed them to the door, feeling quite like the lost duckling she'd compared herself to before.

"We'll...see you tomorrow." Josie said softly, squeezing Hope's shoulder, before the twins walked towards the direction of Dr. Saltzman's office. 

Hope stayed behind, lingering outside the twin's dorm long after they had gone from her sight, feeling oddly unmoored. 


End file.
